Random Crash. Kernel power 41 errors

something daft already!! · 30 May 2023 at 14:27

I have the dreaded Kernel power errors started up since I swapped out an air cooler for a AIO.

Temps are fine and low. Nothing over heats. The crash occurs usually while there is no massive load as such.

Randomly after around 24 hours, the system will crash. Sometimes it can be a nightmare getting it back on but I think I have sussed out to power off for a few seconds and power up again and it will boot.

This all started while I was swapping the cooler, the CPU was stuck to the old cooler. I twisted it and while doing so, inadvertently lifted it and got some pins bent and also some compound on the socket. I spent hours sorting the pins out with a needle. They were all straightened OK as far as I could tell. I cleaned off the paste to the best I could with IPA and refitted the CPU. It would not boot. I removed and replaced it a few times, made sure the cooler was not quite as tight, then it booted OK.

Things started going wrong again, it will reboot as above now. I also swapped RAM after but changing back to old makes no difference.

AMD 3900x
Asus x370 pro board
2 * 16gb Corsair RAM.

I plan to remove the CPU and give it all a good clean with IPA later. If this fails, I plan to get a 2nd hand 570 board and see if this helps.

Any input would be good.

something daft already!! · 30 May 2023 at 22:59

The crashing became severe this evening. I could not even complete a single game of BF 2142, then even boot into Windows. So I removed the cooler and CPU. Used a magnifying app on my Samsung and cleaned a couple of grey looking pins. I then did the same on the mobo socket with a cotton bud and plenty of IPA. Refitted the CPU and cooler, using slightly less pressure on the screws this time and booted up. This time it did boot and stay on long enough to play a round of BF 2142. It feels a bit more solid now, not crashed yet. I guess I will see over the next few days.

hartgeh3 · 30 May 2023 at 23:01

sure its not the ram? whatd you swap with?

something daft already!! · 30 May 2023 at 23:04

hartgeh3 said:
sure its not the ram?

Yeah. I have 4 sticks of DDR4 2666 Vengeance RAM and 2 sticks of 16GB and it did it with both, with only single sticks from all three pairs. Unless all six sticks are faulty, it's something else. The last thing I changed before the crashing started, was the cooler.

Tetras · 30 May 2023 at 23:15

something daft already!! said:
This time it did boot and stay on long enough to play a round of BF 2142. It feels a bit more solid now, not crashed yet. I guess I will see over the next few days.

Fingers crossed.

My guess is that you're on the right track.

something daft already!! · 1 Jun 2023 at 15:58

I think I have solved it. It's been rock solid now for two days where before it was crashing within a single day, often more than once.